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I. R. TTS 86 H. C. BSSINGER.

GAR CUPLING.

Patented May 12, 1885.

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I. R. TITUS & ILO. BOSSINGER.

GAR GOUPLING..

y No. 317,889. Ptented May 12, 1885.

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WITNESSBS ATTORNEY Miren STATES .rr-enr trice.,

IVOR R. TITUS AND HENRY C. BOSSINGER, OF HUNTINGTON, W. VA.

CARCOUPLIlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,889, dated May l2,

Application tiled October 2, 1884. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, IvoR R. TITUs and HENRY C. BOssINGER, of Huntington, in the county of Cabell and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in carcouplers of that class in which movable hooked coupling-heads are swiveled to the draw-bars, and are so arranged with respect to each other as to couple by the mutual engagement of the hooks, or in such manner that the coupling-head may be set to couple with an ordinary coupling-headnand link, as more fully hereinafter described.

The invention has for its objects to provide an improved construction of the couplinghead and draw-bars, whereby the proper engagement of the hooks is insured, and to provide `for locking the head in the draw-bar by means of the ordinary coupling-pin when it is desired to use an ordinary coupling in connection with our improved coupler; also to provide a stop at the end of the car, which will act in conjunction with the coupling-head on the opposite car as a buifer, and,further, to hold one head in engagement with the other, so as to prevent the heads from moving laterally and becoming uncoupled. The invention finally has for its objects to provide for holding the draw-bar in normal position by a yielding pressure, and for returning it to such position should such pressure be interrupted by the breakage of the parts by which it is produced, all as more fully hereinafter described and set forth. These objects we attain by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a top plan view of our invention, showing the draw-heads in a locked position; Fig. 2, a bottom plan view showing the same in an unlocked position. Fig. 3 is a front view; Fig. 4, a sectional View on the line .r of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section of the coupler. Fig. Gis a sectional view of a portion of the coupler in detail, and Fig.

7 is a detached view of a modified form of devices for holding the draw-harina normalpo-` sition.

The letter A indicates the truck of the car, L

and B a substantial frame secured below the car-body to which the draw-bar O is secured.

The letter D indicates a stirrup located in the frame B, and secured to its rear crossbeam by means of a bolt, E, which passes loosely through the rear of the stirrup and the rear cross-beam, so as to have a longitudinal movement therein. The bolt is provided with a head, F, having a half-round recess to bear against the coupling-bolt G, and is provided with a collar, H, behind which sets a spiral spring, I, which presses the bolt normally forward, the bolt being provided at the rear with a screw-nut, to adjust its throw and prevent it from being drawn out of its seat. The head of the bolt sets in a recess at the rear of the part K of the draw-head, the said part setting between the bifurcated rear portion, L, of said draw-head, as shown. The said parts are provided with openings, and the forward ends of the stirrup are slotted longitudinally for the passage of a pin, G,which connects the parts together. The forward portion of the part K is bent and sets into a slot', N, in the solid portion l? of the part L, and forms a bearing for one end of a spiral spring, R, which passes through said slot, the other end of the spring being seated ina stirrup, S, loosely held in the slot by flanges at its ends. The part K is also fianged at its forward end, so that it may be held in the slot.

The letter T indicates the draw-head, which is located between the bifurcated front portion of the part L of the draw-bar, and pivoted therein by means of a bolt,U,upon which said head may swing freely when not locked, as hereinafter described. The head is provided with a hook, V, at one side, which engages a similar hook on the opposite coupling-head when the two come together,as more fully hereinafter explained. The head on the same side and to the rear of the hook is also provided with an arm or stop, XV, which falls in a recess, X, at one side of the draw-bar, and limits the movement of the head when the two are interlocked. At the opposite side the head is provided with an abutment,

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Y, against which the curved edges of the locking-pawl Z set to lock the lever,the said pawl dropping vby its own gravity for this purpose, and being raised by its lever A and connectingchain to unlock the head and uncouple the cars.

The draw-head is provided with a curved face, B, having a recess to receive the end of an ordinary coupling-link when the head is in position shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings. The ends of the front part of the draw-bar extend beyond the fulcrum-pin of the head, and are provided with apertures D', which are in line with the apertures in the coupling-head when in the position shown in Figsu2 and 5, for the passage of the couplingpin E, when it is desired to employ our improved coupler in connection with a coupler of ordinary construction. It will be seen that the coupling-pin thus locks the head in position and holds the link simultaneously, and should the pivot-pin of the draw'head break, the link will still be held by the coupling-pin and extended ends of the draw-bar, and if the extended ends of the draw-bar should be injured the coupling head and pin would hold the link, thus rendering accidental uncoupling almost impossible.

The letter Ff indicates an abutment or stop which is bolted to the timbers of the car-body at the end at one side of the draw-bar facing the hooked end of the draw-head. This abutment or stop has its face curved, as shown,

l the curve bearing such relation to the drawhead that when the head is in position shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings the opposite head may freely enter between the lirst-mentioned head and the abutment, that when the two heads are interlocked the draw-head and abutment of one car will form a contracted space from which the draw-head of the other car cannot be withdrawn so long as the draw*- liead is locked by the lockingpawl before mentioned. The abutment or stops of the respective cars act as buffers for the respective draw-heads and draw-bars, so as to get the effective action of each hurling-spring, and

consequently the combined effect of the two, thus materially reducing the shock of the cars upon coming together and lessening the wear and tear of each.

The letter G indicates a stirrup, which consists of a cross-bar, H', pivoted at the ends to the lower ends of the links I 1, which are pivoted to the end timbers of the car. The said bar H has an abutment, K', which bears against one side of the draw-bar, the link I bearing against the opposite side of the said draw-bar. The stirrup hangs normally in position, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, and should spiral spring break or any of its bearings become injured the stirrup and draw-bar will be kept in normal position by their weight, thus preventing the parts from becoming inactive.

Having described our invention, we claim- 1. The combination, with the bifurcated draw-bar, of the'draw-head pivoted at the forward end thereof, the parts of the draw-bar at each side of the draw-head extending beyond the pivotal pin, and being pro vided with apertures coinciding with the coupling-pin aperture of the draw-head, whereby the said head may be locked and the link engaged by the coupling-pin simultaneously, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the connectingstirrup, of the bolt passing through rear of said stirrup and the cross-beam of the drawbar frame, the draw-bar constructed in two parts connected together and to said stirrup by a single connecting-pin, against which the head of the bolt bears, and the spiral spring for controlling the longitudinal movements of the draw-head, all arranged to operate substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the draw-bar, of the stirrup consisting of a cross-beam having a stop to hold the draw-bar, and pivoted to links swung from the car-timbers, whereby the draw-bar is held normally, substantially as specified.

4. rlhe combination, with the draw-bar and its swinging head, of the curved abutment located at one side of said head, the two being so arranged relatively that the head ma pass the abutment in coupling and be held by said abutment when coupled, substantially as specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

IVOR R. TITUS.

HENRY C. BOSSINGER. Witnesses:

E. ENsIG,

IRA R. Woon.

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